FIG. 1 shows a first prior art handheld device 102 that provides data tethering services. According to the depiction of FIG. 1, the handheld device is coupled to a tethering machine 101 (e.g., a computer such as a Personal Computer (PC), a laptop computer, a notebook computer, etc.). In a typical application, the tethering machine 101 lacks access to a network such as the Internet 105. The handheld device, which has access to the desired network 105, is locally coupled 103 to the tethering machine 101. The handheld device 102, through a wireless network 104 that the handheld device is communicatively coupled to, essentially acts as a gateway for the tethering machine 101 to the desired network 105. That is, the handheld device 102 and wireless network 104 act to support the tethering machine's ability to send/receive information to/from the desired network 105.
FIG. 2 shows another prior art tethering-like approach in which a cable modem 206 effectively behaves like the handheld device 102 described above. According to the approach of FIG. 2, the tethering machine 201 is coupled to the cable modem 206 which provides access to a desired network, such as the Internet 205, through the cable modem's corresponding cable network 204. The tethering machine 201 can be configured to behave as a gateway for other tethering machines (e.g., other PCs, laptop computers, notebook computers, etc.). For example, as observed in FIG. 2 above, tethering machine 201 is coupled to remote tethering machine 207 through a local area network connection 203.
Here, the tethering machine 201 is able to distinguish between the various traffic flows that flow through the cable modem 204. For example, if tethering machines 201 and 202 both send respective request messages into the Internet 205 through the cable modem 204, tethering machine 201 is able to properly keep the response message directed to itself, and, direct the response message for the remote tethering machine 207 to the remote tethering machine 207.
For both of the prior art situations above, however, data services into the same network that the tethering machine(s) are accessing cannot be enjoyed at the gateway itself. That is, referring to FIG. 1, if tethering machine 101 is accessing the Internet 105 through the handheld device 102, a user of the handheld device 102 cannot also access the Internet 105. With respect to FIG. 2, the cable modem 206 is not designed to be used as an Internet web surfing device.